International Rescue: The Next Phase


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Re: Gear Up and Buckle Down [message #1991 is a reply to message #1987] Sat, 28 July 2012 22:32 Go to previous messageGo to previous message
Tikatu is currently offline  Tikatu
Messages: 813
Registered: April 2012
Location: South Carolina
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Field Commander
Ubiquitous one
Thursday, March 29th 1:05 a.m. Tracy Island.

Virgil had been tinkering with the same two keys for over an hour and no matter how 'in tune' they sounded to an outside ear, Virgil just knew they weren't right and he would not stop until they were. It was a little after 1:00 a.m. and the villa was quiet. Virgil was taking his turn on night watch and so far it had been a long restful evening.

After his family had retired to their beds, he'd checked in with John in the space station, and they'd chatted about nothing in particular. It looked like no one was going to be needing IR's help this night. So Virgil had got up from the command center, also known as his father's desk, and gone to his piano. While softly playing a melody he'd written, he had noticed that two keys hadn't quite sounded right, and so he'd started to tinker with them.

Not too far down the hall from the lounge, a restless Elise tossed and turned. A peaceful slumber was eluding her, and she'd been drifting in and out of sleep for what seemed like hours.

Each time she relaxed into sleep, haunting images and emotions of fear and pain and panic would seep into her being and rob her of any peace. The images ebbed and flowed into her memory. It all seemed so real, yet it wasn't, was it? It couldn't be. The water wasn't real, so why did she feel cold?

"Elise! Elise sweetie, hold on! Mommy's here baby, I'm coming!"

Her mother's voice calling to her, softly at first, became clearer and Elise could see her trying to clamber towards her. The waves were rougher, washing over them as the boat heaved and tossed under them.

"Mom! Help me, Mom I'm scared!" Elise was screaming as she clung tightly to the side of the upturned boat.

She desperately tried to keep her head above water and kept spitting out mouthfuls of the salty sea. She could hear her father somewhere on the other side of the boat shouting to her and her mother.

"Daddy! Daddy, please get me, I can't hold on. I can't reach mommy!"

"Elise, hold on! Hold on for daddy, I'm coming to get you and mom!"

Sudden surges of water tossed her up and then dragged her down beneath the surface. Gulping and gasping, she spluttered her way back to the surface, immediately screaming for her parents. Her father was just mere feet away, holding out his hand.

"Elise, grab my hand baby, grab my hand!"

Why was he getting farther away? Why didn't come back?

Elise struggled to reach him, all the while thinking, I don't want to die! I don't want to die I can't hold on, I'm falling.......
The water had turned to snow and she was still alive, barely. "Daddy?" she called, hearing no one.

She turned and saw, not her father, but another familiar face. The face of Jeff Tracy. He was still, ashen, and covered in blood.

"NO! No, you can't be dead, you can't be!" Elise found herself screaming out loud.

First her parents, now Mr. Tracy. Why? Why are they all dying?

Virgil's fingers immediately stilled when he heard the scream. He cocked his head, not sure if in fact it had been a scream that he'd heard. He was trying to think who it could be, when he heard another one. Whoever it was, they were terrified and then he realized that Elise was still in the villa. Her living quarters weren't ready yet, and she was in the guest room closest to the lounge.

He ran to her room and opened her door. She was obviously in the throes of a nightmare; the covers were all strewn every which way, and Elise was clutching them for dear life.

Virgil knew he had to approach her gently and wake her so as not to scare her more. He sat on the edge of her bed and reached out to hold her hand.

"Elise? Elise can you hear me?" he said softly, but she didn't respond.

He leaned over slightly so that he could hold both her hands with his. "Elise, wake up honey, wake up," he called a little louder.

Suddenly both of her eyes flew open and she sat bolt upright, breathing heavily. Her hair clung to her damp skin, and she grabbed a hold of his shirt with both hands in a vise-like grip.

"You have to help him! You can't let him die! He can't be dead! I tried to fly... the chopper... I couldn't hold on... the boat... I couldn't hold on! Please... the boat... oh God, help him!"
Virgil looked into her eyes and knew she wasn't looking at him, she was looking through him.

"Elise, sshhh...its okay. It's me, it's Virgil. You're okay. Elise...calm down...shhh."

He repeated the words a few times, and each time she seemed to calm until she started to breathe slower and come around.

Elise heard the soothing voice through the dark void she'd been in. Ever so slowly she began to wake up. Her bed, the room, it was here. She was safe now. No more water, no more snow and no more death. She looked around gingerly and then realized someone had gently taken hold of her upper arms. She gazed up into soft, caring brown eyes.

"Virgil?"

"Yep. In the flesh." He smiled, hoping to relieve some of her anxiety.

Suddenly Elise knew what had just happened. She lessened her grip on his shirt and started mumbling apologies. He laughed softly.

"You don't have to say sorry, its okay. I understand. I've had bad dreams too."

Although calmer, Elise was still very emotionally upset and started to cry as she stuttered "It was so... so... all so real."
He drew her close and gently rubbed her back, as if to sooth away all her demons.

It was a while later that she felt calm enough to try and go back to sleep. She hadn't wanted to talk about the nightmare, and Virgil hadn't pushed her to. He figured it was too personal and that she'd tell him if she wanted to. He just wanted to make sure she was okay.

"I can stay until you fall asleep if you like?" offered Virgil.

"Thanks, I'd like that," she replied softly.

"Can I get you anything?" he asked.

"I am kind of thirsty. Would you mind?"

"Not at all! I know just thing to help you sleep."

Before she could ask what it was, Virgil was gone. He came back a short while later with a mug of hot chocolate.

"Kyrano's secret recipe," he told her as he handed her the mug.

"Hmmm... it's good. Thanks."

She sipped carefully, relaxing more with each sip. It didn't take long for Elise to feel the effects of the drink and she started to drift off to sleep. Virgil positioned himself in the chair opposite her bed, telling her he'd stay until she was asleep. She sleepily smiled her thanks and closed her eyes.

Virgil slouched down til he was comfy, stretched out his legs, crossed his ankles, folded his arms and relaxed. He only planned on staying a few minutes and then he needed to get back to the desk. He tilted his head slightly and closed his eyes, and that's exactly how his brother Scott found them the next morning.

Scott had always been a light sleeper and was usually the first up. This morning he'd walked into the lounge and saw that Virgil was MIA. Knowing that their father might possibly blow his stack once he found out that the desk was not manned, Scott went searching for his brother, silently fuming to himself.

"Hey Virgil! Wake up!" Scott shook Virgil's shoulder and his sleepy brother opened his eyes.

"Scott? What are you doing here?"

"I should be asking YOU that! Why aren't you at the desk?"

Virgil suddenly became fully awake. "Damn! What time is it?"

"Early, Dad's not up yet." Scott glanced over at a sleeping Elise and then back at his brother. "What's going on Virgil?"
Virgil explained the whole situation to Scott. "So, I gave her some of Kyrano's famous hot chocolate and she was out like a light."

"You mean you put whiskey in the chocolate?"

Virgil smiled "Yep!"

They left Elise sleeping and headed towards the lounge, talking softly. Virgil told Scott about the nightmare.

"Do you think it's related to the accident with Dad?" Virgil asked.

Scott looked thoughtful for a moment. "Could be I suppose. She might have Post Traumatic Stress Syndrome. We're going to need to keep an eye on her during training. If anything seems to bother her, I think we need to tell Dianne about it."

"Don't worry Scott, I'll watch for any signs that something maybe wrong."

"Wrong? This early in the morning?" They both turned their heads as Tin-Tin walked in.

"Oh, it's nothing Tin-Tin, just trying to figure out why these two piano keys just keep sounding wrong."

"I'm sure you'll figure out the problem, Virgil," she sweetly replied as she rolled her eyes and grabbed a magazine before heading for the kitchen.

Post by FrankieCTB2 on 18/01/2005

Jeff heartbeat Dianne plain My IR:TNP OTP!

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